The present invention relates to connecting discrete parts of a hard-wired security system using a network. Traditional security systems, such as those used in many commercial or industrial facilities, often use dedicated, hard-wired field busses to interconnect each of the devices in the security system. The field busses connect devices, such as user interfaces, input/output (I/O) devices, alarms, and the like to a security or control panel. However, the installation of dedicated, hard-wired field busses for connecting each component or device within a security system is often time consuming and expensive. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a security system 10 that uses a single dedicated, hard-wired bus 15 to connect each device in the security system 10. The security system 10 includes a control panel 20, an I/O device 25, and a user interface 30. Installing the security system 10 requires installing dedicated, hard-wired field busses between each of the devices or discrete parts of the security system. For example, dedicated, hard-wired field busses are required to connect the control panel on, for example, a building's first floor, the I/O device on the building's third floor, and the user interface on the building's fifth floor.
Alternatively, some security systems require replacing or converting each device in the security system such that each device is able to connect to a network, such as an IP-based network. However, like installing hard-wired field busses throughout the entire security system, converting or replacing each device such that they can connect to a network can be cost prohibitive and may render other existing, non-networked devices incompatible with the network-based parts of the security system.